1. The Field of the Invention
This invention relates to hitches and, more particularly, to novel systems and methods for providing variability of the height of a hitch attached to a vehicle for towing another vehicle, such as a trailer.
2. The Background Art
Towing vehicles have existed since vehicles existed. Many times, a towing vehicle may be thought of as a tractor, where the towed vehicle is a trailer, trailing behind the tractor. Modern sport-utility vehicles such as four-wheel-drive pickup trucks and vans abound. Likewise, conventional pickup trucks, family automobiles, vans, and even motorcycles, are sometimes used as towing vehicles. In industry, and agriculture, tractors such as field tractors, wheeled tractors, tracked tractors, and semi-tractor trailer rigs may use hitches for trailing a vehicle.
A trailing vehicle has wheels on a axle establishing some height. A trailing vehicle also has a tongue by which the trailing vehicle is towed. The height at which a tongue is towed depends on the height of the hitch of a towing vehicle. Most hitches are fixed to a vehicle, not permitting any adjustment of height. Certain apparatus exists for mounting hitches needing an adjustable height.
Many such schemes are complex. Some are inherently weak. Some have a single member supporting the towing load and the hitch weight load of the trailing vehicle. If a single member fails in such a situation, a disaster of major or minor proportions may result. Also, adjustment of height by an assembly of members creates difficulties for a user in trying to put all members in proper registration with one another.
In the situation with sport-utility vehicles, and other vehicles towing recreational equipment such as boat trailers, house trailers, and the like, maneuverability may be important, yet dependent upon hitch height. For example, in putting a boat into a body of water, a user may desire to use a raised hitch height. Likewise, a user may wish to adjust hitch height according to the height of a loaded, versus an unloaded, trailer. Similarly, a single vehicle may tow different trailing vehicles on different occasions, each of which may come from a different manufacturer and possess some unique wheel or frame height. In such a circumstance, it is desirable to have a hitch height on the towing vehicle that corresponds to the tongue height established by the frame or axle height of the towed trailer.
What is needed is a durable, strong, easily adjustable, mounting mechanism for supporting a hitch on a vehicle. Ease of use, rapidity of adjustment, strength for supporting towing load and hitch weight, and simplicity of operation, are all desirable characteristics.
Size and weight for such a hitch support mechanism may be major considerations. A large envelope may exist in prior art devices to accommodate a long beam having multiple positions for moving a hitch support. A compact envelope with unused portions tucked neatly out of the way, or moving accordingly, would be advantageous. Moreover, large and bulky assemblies may be dangerous to users presenting sharp corners, and other apparatus over which to trip, or on which to injure oneself.